


Coda

by ShaolinQueen



Series: Drowning and Resurfacing [1]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Bathing/Washing, Coda, Family Feels, Head Injury, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Missing Scene, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:20:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29461893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaolinQueen/pseuds/ShaolinQueen
Summary: The umpeteenth take on their journey to the safehouse. This takes place right after their escape from Merrick’s Labs. Lot of angst and some much deserved cuddles.Three POVs for three chapters: Nicky's, Andy's & Joe's.Intro to the "Drowning and Resurfacing" series.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Drowning and Resurfacing [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083350
Comments: 42
Kudos: 219





	1. Coda #1

**Author's Note:**

> Forever grateful to my amazing beta **ilostmyothersock**!

His stomach hadn’t felt right since he came back from the gunshot wound to his head.

The adrenaline of the fight, the concern for Andy and their hasty escape had easily reduced the cramps to a mild queasiness, a dull discomfort at the back of his mind. But now, sitting in the car with four more people, all of them smelling of blood and sweat, had quickly brought his nausea back tenfold, together with a splitting headache. 

Nicky tightened his jaw, minutely controlling his breaths. It didn’t help that he had chosen to sit in the middle, between Booker and Nile, between the brother who had betrayed them in the hope to find mortality and the newly found sister who had decided to come back to save them. 

No, that was _not_ the most comfortable seat, he considered, wishing he could follow Nile’s example and gently snooze leaning against the side of the car. She must be so exhausted, he thought in anguish, so tired both mentally and physically. She had had so little time to adapt to her new life, and yet had so bravely embraced it, throwing herself through a skyscraper’s window with no hesitation, protecting Andy and getting rid of Merrick in one move.

Nicky felt such a strong surge of affection for the young woman who had saved them all, who had shielded Andy with her own body like it was the most natural thing to do. He felt such an admiration for the selfless immortal who, among the chaos and shock, had also quickly learnt not to take any of Booker’s nonsense when he had asked to be left behind in the lab. 

Nile had learnt so fast, and yet their own brother, with whom they had shared so many missions and bets, so much banter and laughter, had chosen the uncertain chance of finding death over the safety of his family.

It hurt, it hurt so much and Nicky felt like his chest was about to explode from the pain of this betrayal, the pain of Andy’s mortality and the agony of his beloved’s broken heart. He took another deep breath, that had nothing to do with his queasiness this time.

Booker sat rigidly at his other side, a bundle of nerves and guilt. He was awake, distantly looking outside the window. He was trying to avoid touching Nicky, shoulder hunched over and legs leaning tightly to the side. 

Nicky was shocked to realise that avoidance was breaking his heart anew.

He had so many questions, for his brother and for himself, but he was struggling to follow his own thoughts now, the only clear thing was the excruciating throbbing of his head and the growing nausea. 

He looked outside and it seemed that they were finally away from the city centre, steadily approaching their safehouse in South London. He also realised that they weren't close enough, and that he couldn't ignore his discomfort anymore.

With another glance to confirm that the road was empty and isolated enough, he finally murmured his quiet request, barely loud enough for Andy to hear.

“Ferma la macchina, Andy, per favore.”

He felt Booker startle next to him, while Andy gently stopped the car after briefly meeting Nicky’s eyes in the rearview mirror. He probably looked worse than he thought, gauging from Andy’s quick compliance. 

Booker had most likely understood as well, as he immediately opened the door and exited the car in one swift movement. 

Nicky clumsily maneuvered himself outside the car, grateful to find his husband’s hand ready to support him as he suddenly wasn’t entirely stable on his feet. Joe’s beautiful features were marred with deep lines of concern and he felt the need to reassure him right away.

“It’s okay, I just need to get it out of me.” 

They distanced themselves from the car, just a few steps, before Nicky heavily leaned on a road sign and finally threw up, a dark reddish liquid staining the grass at his feet. He felt tears reflexively leaving his eyes and his stomach cramping painfully. 

He was so tired but once again incredibly grateful for the warm presence of Joe by his side, gently holding his forehead and murmuring quiet words of encouragement. 

It didn’t last long. As he had suspected he must have involuntarily swallowed some of the blood from his head wound, but it hadn’t been much, as the majority of it had ended up on the floor, completely soaking the back of his head and hair.

He took a couple of deep breaths and straightened himself, tiredly leaning on his husband’s chest and feeling his warm hands gently massaging his tender belly.

“Are you feeling a bit better, Habibi?” Joe murmured in his ear and gently kissed his temple, most likely also aware of Nicky’s splitting headache. 

“Sì, better. It wasn’t much blood, but it never sits well with our stomachs,” he complained with a sigh. All of them had experienced that before, swallowing blood only had one outcome, even for immortal organs.

“Are you okay to drive for a bit?,” Nicky asked quietly while they were slowly re-approaching the car. “I think Andy could use some rest, but I…” he hesitated worriedly looking at their boss, who currently had her head leaned back against the car seat, with her arm resting protectively around her middle. 

“Yes,” Joe replied with no hesitation. “And you should do the same, my heart, give your head more time to heal.” 

Nicky nodded in gratitude, and let his husband gently guide him to the front seat, the one Joe had previously occupied. Without uttering a word still, Booker took the hint and entered the car again, now sitting in the middle. Nile hadn’t even stirred the whole time, Nicky noticed, she really must have been completely exhausted. 

A testament to Andy’s pain and her own exhaustion, she didn’t protest when Joe moved to her next, helping her to the back seat and encouraging her to take a nap. 

They hit the road again. Nicky’s head was still throbbing painfully, but his stomach wasn’t churning anymore and he finally allowed himself to close his eyes and rest his head on the cool window. It was a small but welcome relief. 

His stomach had settled yes, and the cold glass was easing the pain in his head, but his heart was still being excruciatingly crushed inside his chest. Nicky knew there was no easy relief for that, not now, not for a long time.

He felt a lone tear run down his cheek, that he didn’t bother to wipe away. He knew that tomorrow he would be angry - furious. But today he was just broken, and tired, and sad, and worried and in pain.

He felt the love of his life gently squeeze his leg, leaving his warm hand there, a constant comfort and reassurance. 

Another silent tear escaped, of gratitude this time. He took Joe’s hand in his then, briefly bringing it to his lips for a chaste kiss then guiding it back to his thigh. 

Nicky didn’t let it go for the rest of the journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did we need another version of this missing scene with all the amazing stories we already have out there? Don’t think so, but I just *had* to write it and hope you enjoyed it!!! ALL the feedback is much appreciated ❤️
> 
>  **Italian words**  
>  “Ferma la macchina, Andy, per favore.” = Andy, stop the car, please.  
> Sì = Yes  
>  **Arabic words**  
>  Habibi = My love


	2. Coda #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicky takes care of Andy and briefly confronts Booker. So much hurt, a bit of comfort, yes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehm, wasn’t really planning to continue this… I did promise an extra chapter of _Habits_ as well - sorry, it's in progress! But once again I couldn’t help myself and even a third coda will come… You know Nicky’s hair full of blood? Yeah, that part… 
> 
> Hope you’ll enjoy both additions! You might want to check my other story _Drowning in Memories_ , there's a couple of references here. 
> 
> Always massive thanks to **ilostmyothersock** ❤️

Andy opened her eyes, something had changed. The car wasn’t moving anymore and to her utmost indignation she realised she had fallen asleep, despite having tried very hard not to do so after Joe had gently encouraged her to rest. 

Being mortal really sucked, she thought morosely for the umpteenth time that day.

It was dark outside, but she was still able to recognise the silhouette of their Victorian house, the tall trees around it, the small unkempt garden at the front. If they stayed long enough Nicky would surely take care of it, maybe even plant some moonflowers, she mused longingly. 

As if summoned by her thoughts, her brother opened the car door for her. From the corner of her eye she saw Joe doing the same for Nile, who had just woken up as well. Deciding not to worry about the other immortals for the time being, with Booker still awkwardly waiting to be freed, one side or the other, Andy let Nicky help her exit the car. Her annoyance grew tenfold when she realised that she was feeling even worse than before, that her accidental nap hadn’t helped _at all_.

Nicky, sweet soul that he was, seemed to read her mind, tightening the hold on her shoulders and slowly guiding her through the short pathway to the house. “The adrenaline has worn off, it’s normal to feel this weak after losing so much blood,” he explained quietly.

Of course, being the one with medical training (that he religiously renewed every ten years or so), Nicky also knew when a patient needed reassurance or a simple explanation. This consideration only added to Andy’s growing irritation as she didn’t like the idea of being treated like an invalid one bit. 

She huffed impatiently but didn’t protest at Nicky’s cautious steps. Like it or not, Andy was painfully aware that getting shot and then engaging in several bouts of hand-to-hand combat hadn’t really been the best way to get reacquainted with her mortal body. 

The other immortals went ahead, leaving the door open for them. Andy saw Nile linger on the threshold, a worried expression on her face. She felt Nicky nod in reassurance and Nile gave them a hesitant smile before disappearing inside. She was covered in blood from head to toe, Andy absently noticed with a frown. 

“She’s a good kid,” she then said affectionately and heard Nicky hum in agreement. 

“We owe her our freedom,” he added in that final, solemn tone of his, but Andy could hear the pain behind it, the unsaid part of it. _A freedom that wouldn’t have been at stake in the first place, if Booker hadn’t betrayed us_.

Nicky wasn’t like Joe though, Nicky always kept his feelings bottled up inside at first. Andy knew that he would take his time to make sense of them, and only after reaching a sort of internal resolution would he talk - first to Joe, and then with the rest of his family.

She distantly remembered a time when Nicky would have confided in Quynh before all, even before talking to Joe. They would go hunting together, or for a long walk. They would come back breathless from exertion, sharing conspiratory smiles, Nicolò having solved his inner turmoil and her wife smugly satisfied to have helped her beloved Chiến Thắng. 

Her heart constricted at the bittersweet memory. It was yet another reminder that Andy had no way of lessening her brother's pain, as she was still processing the new developments herself, including the unexpected loss of her immortality as well as the fact that her wife was still trapped at the bottom of the ocean, still drowning over and over again. 

“Almost there,” Nicky softly encouraged her, and again Andy thought he must be reading her thoughts, trying to bring her back to him, to their current situation, which was far from perfect, but at least away from painful memories.

Inside the house Joe was pottering around the small kitchen, running a quick inventory of their supplies. He was also doing an excellent job at completely ignoring Booker, who was standing awkwardly in one corner of the room. 

Andy was sure that while she had been slowly approaching the entrance with Nicky’s help, Joe had efficiently done a quick sweep of the house, and possibly ordered his brother not to move from that corner. 

She could also hear the shower going and she was grateful that Joe had wasted no time showing Nile where she could clean up and get rid of all that blood. Despite the exterior appearance, this was one of their most modern safehouses, with two bathrooms and three bedrooms, and electric commodities that included heating, boiler and kitchen hob.

There was also a huge comfortable sofa in the middle of the living room, which undoubtedly was their current destination. Nicky quickly removed the plastic cover, then gently helped her lie down, moving some cushions to support her back and to prevent her from pulling the bleeding wound in her abdomen. 

She squeezed his hand in gratitude and she was rewarded with one of his small smiles and a kiss on her forehead. 

“I’ll be right back.”

Andy had barely had time to close her eyes for a moment and adjust her position on the sofa before Nicky was back as promised, holding a small water bottle that he opened for her.

“Slow sips, but all of it, if you can manage,” he instructed with a gentle but practical tone, now in full doctor-mode. 

He disappeared again while she diligently sipped her water and when he was back, not even ten minutes later, she could smell the minty toothpaste in his breath and fresh soap on his face and hands. He still looked like death warmed over though. 

“Found this in the bathroom upstairs,” he told her, intentionally preventing her from voicing whatever remark on his appearance she was planning to make. He held up a big First Aid Kit while he knelt by the sofa, handing her two sets of pills. “I’m glad our past selves thought of any eventuality,” he added with a grimace. 

“You mean your past self,” she corrected with a fond smile, downing the pills with two more sips of water. 

Joe approached them then, his hand casually squeezing his husband’s shoulder while he addressed the both of them.

“I’ll quickly freshen up to go to the mall nearby. We could use some extra groceries and new clothes and towels for Nile. You can write any additional medical supplies you need here,” Joe added, handing Nicky a pencil and a piece of paper.

“And don’t forget to add something for your headache,” he reminded Nicky with another gentle squeeze of his hand, then leaving them to their ministrations.

Looking at the brief yet intimate scene, Andy felt once again a deep surge of affection for her family. For Nicky, who was taking such good care of her despite his own exhaustion and pain, and for Joe, certainly as tired and broken, who was taking care of everybody else. 

_Mostly_.

While they were waiting for the pills to take effect, Nicky quickly started to scribble a list of painkillers and various medical supplies, as Joe had requested. That’s when Andy noticed Booker slowly approaching them, probably less intimidated after Joe’s disappearing upstairs.

“Do you need help?,” he asked cautiously and Andy hated how lost and mortified he looked, and how Nicky's hand froze on the piece of paper. 

The latter recovered fast enough though, writing the last item on the list and placing paper and pencil on the small table by the sofa. 

He stood up then and for a second Andy thought Nicky might start a fight with Booker after all, shouting at him, maybe even getting physical.

But of course Nicky did none of that. He simply stared at his brother for a long moment, eyes shining and vulnerable, disappointment and betrayal written all over his face.

Andy’s heart clenched painfully again, as she knew from experience that glare was much worse than shouts and punches. She had only been at the receiving end of it once, and she had sworn _never again_.

“We are good here,” Nicky broke the silence, at last, his voice measured and firm. “But you should wash too, as soon as either Joe or Nile are done in one of the bathrooms.”

“We could also use some fresh linen on the beds,” he added as an afterthought, still managing to be practical despite the anguish between them.

Booker nodded mutely, moving to leave and doing as he was told.

“Sébastien, do you still have a phone?” Andy saw the taller man freeze in place, shaking his head at Nicky's unexpected question.

Nicky studied him for another second, then added neutrally. “I have to check.”

Andy thought that in that moment her heart might be breaking for real. Her breath almost itched watching Nicky, their kind Nicky, quickly but efficiently search the man in front of him, sliding his hands over Booker’s pockets, his sleeves and torso, his trousers and shoes.

He found nothing, showing no emotion when he finally nodded at Booker, silently giving him permission to leave. 

As soon as Booker left the room, Andy noticed Nicky shoulders slumping in defeat, his hands starting to shake slightly. 

“Nicky…” 

“I’ll wash my hands then I’ll start treating your wound, you should be numb enough by now.” He moved to the kitchen sink and she watched as he forcefully rubbed and scratched his hands with old soap.

“Nicky,” she repeated once he was back kneeling by the sofa, holding her hand for him to grab.

He looked at her with a broken expression, his big eyes incredibly pale and bright. He took her hand to his lips for a kiss though, still grateful for the silent support. She then moved it to his cheek, offering a soft caress to the pale skin.

“I just searched my own brother,” he whispered in shame, distraught, broken, tears threatening to leave his eyes.

“I know, Nico, I know…,” she acknowledged, not being able to hide the pain in her own voice. “We’ll be okay. It’s gonna take some time, but I know we will.”

He nodded minutely, composing himself with a shaky breath. He rummaged through the supplies, finding antiseptic, suture stitches and gauze. He silently got to work, softly apologising every time a hiss escaped her lips. 

But his hands weren’t shaking anymore. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chiến Thắng = victory/victorious in Vietnamese. Nicolò = victorious. This is Quynh’s special nickname for Nicky mentioned for the first time in _Drowning in Memories._**
> 
> Thank you for reading, feedback is always welcome ❤️


	3. Coda #3

Leaving the house for a grocery run had helped Joe clear his head. 

It was always the most mundane things that would overcome the weight of their immortality, quieting the horror of the wars they had fought, easing the burden of all the pain they had seen and all the pain they would keep seeing over the centuries to come. 

Hopefully overcoming even the agony of a brother's betrayal.

Things like browsing the aisles of a supermarket with efficient focus and yet wonder at the latest shapes of cereals would always ground him. _Were those star-shaped All-Bran he was looking at?_

Small gestures like helping an old man read the price of three different brands of butter because he forgot his reading glasses, and smiling at his reaction because _Oh my world! Even butter is for rich people nowadays_.

Or brief, normal moments like a quick chat with a friendly clerk at the pharmacy, who had wished whoever Joe was buying the supplies for a speedy recovery. _You seem like such a caring person, I’m sure they’ll be up and around in no time thanks to you._

Joe hadn’t corrected them, satisfied to have crossed every item off the list. While he was quite grateful for the small respite the errand run had provided, he was also eager to get back to his family as soon as possible. 

On his way back to the safehouse though, he thought about his Nicolò, his infinite kindness, and the fact that yes, the clerk had been right in a way, because Andy couldn’t have asked for a better caregiver in such frightening circumstances. 

He thought about the star-shaped cereal he had decided to buy after all. Joe was more vocal when it came to modern wonders, but his Nicolò still marvelled at these ridiculous marketing stunts and Joe desperately wanted to put a real smile on his husband's face.

_There’s a TV, Joe!_ Nicky had exclaimed boarding the plane, because at the time they had still been able to make lighthearted jokes. _Champagne?_ He had replied, to humour the love of his life and annoy their captors at the same time. Nicky’s eyes had been glinting though, with real wonder at the luxury of the private jet, yet also very aware that their nonchalance was upsetting Copley and everybody else around them.

Of course that had been before discovering that their own brother was behind their kidnapping. That Booker, knowing very well that Nicky would experience a bad allergic reaction to the tear gas, had thought that it was a small price to pay to achieve his own mortality. That it was okay to have the person who had taken care of him when he had been at his lowest, wake up confused and in pain on the cold floor of a van, surrounded by homophobic children. 

Booker, who had been irrationally naive enough (Joe hoped that was the case, he needed to believe it was naivety and not plain cruelty) to ignore the fact that Nicky and himself would certainly be tortured, that they would spend hours being cut open and experimented on, piece by piece, sample by sample. 

_Booker_ , who had been indirectly responsible for the scariest moment of his long life, too soon after watching the love of his life choke on tear gas, too soon after finding out about Andy’s mortality, too soon after their umpteenth death on those lab beds. Joe would not easily forget the brutal sight of Nicolò's blood and brains splattered on the floor, the back of his head, _the gun in his mouth_. 

He was internally raging again when he crossed the threshold of their house. However, the domestic scene in front of him soothed his aching soul right away.

Andy was peacefully sleeping on the big sofa, skin clean and with fresh clothes on her. His beloved must have helped her freshen up as well and he distantly remembered Nicolò fretting over dirty wounds in the middle of a battlefield. _We must avoid infection at all costs, Yusuf, things can go south quite quickly if we let that spread_.

And speaking of his beloved, he was currently sitting at the kitchen table, together with Nile. They were both sipping from steaming cups and Joe noticed a third one, at the opposite end of the table. For a moment he feared Booker might be with them, but he rejected the thought almost immediately as his husband wouldn’t look so relaxed if that were the case. 

Carrying several bags of groceries, Joe passed by Andy as quietly as possible and finally joined them in the adjacent kitchen. Both Nicky and Nile moved to stand and help him, but Joe held out his hand to stop them. The groceries could wait, he didn’t really want to interrupt their small break, as he suspected that was the first time his husband had sat down in the past few hours. 

“Have tea with us then,” Nicky quietly prompted, lightly gesturing at the third cup on the table and ultimately confirming that his husband had freshly prepared it for him, as soon as he heard the car entering their small private driveway. 

Before joining them though, he fished for a particular box and grabbed a small bottle of water, putting both in front of Nicky.

If the look of gratitude and absence of objections were of any indication, the headache was still badly affecting him and Joe hoped the medication would help as quickly as the label promised. 

“Those are pretty strong, are you okay?” Nile asked Nicky with a frown on her face, watching as he downed two big pills with a gulp of water. 

“It’s just a headache,” Nicky replied easily with a small reassuring smile, because of course he would. 

Joe sat down with them then, holding the hot mug between his hands and taking comfort from its warmth. He saw Nile’s confused expression, surely wondering why she was perfectly fine after having broken possibly every single bone of her body while Nicky was currently plagued by something as menial as a headache. 

Unsurprisingly, Nicolò noticed as well.

“I was shot in the head,” his husband explained, almost casually, and Joe found his fingers tightening around the mug. “Sometimes head wounds leave some aftereffects, but nothing serious, and these migraine pills help,” he added holding up the small box.

Joe could see that Nile was partially reassured but had more questions and he really wanted to answer all of them, help her understand, help her cope. But Nicolò was still wearing his bloody clothes, there was still so much blood in his hair and he was definitely paler than when Joe had left for the mall. He also knew that his husband would start making dinner for his family if Joe didn’t intervene right away. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Nicolò.” He spoke gently, but he was not asking. He saw Nicky glancing at the groceries, still unpacked on the kitchen counter.

Nile, bless her kind heart, seemed to exactly understand the objection that his stubborn husband was about to make and quickly stood up.

“I’ll take care of this,” she volunteered easily. “I can also start dinner, if that’s okay? Anything I should know, preferences?” She added hurriedly, probably realising that she knew nothing about her new family.

Joe felt a rush of affection for the selfless young woman who seemed to possess an empathy that could match his Nicolò’s. 

“Thank you, Nile, that’s very kind of you,” he told her warmly. “Anything you can come up with would be perfect, we are not fussy,” he added with a smile, hoping she understood how grateful he was for what could seem a small gesture. 

Nicky too was looking at her almost in adoration, eyes a bit glassy and clearly having similar thoughts. He didn’t speak, but he squeezed Nile’s hand affectionately before leaving the table and following Joe upstairs. 

* * *

“I think I need to sit down.” 

They had just entered the bathroom and Joe almost panicked at Nicky’s sudden words. He immediately took his arm and guided him to sit on the edge of the bathtub. 

“Should I take you to the bedroom, do you need to lie down?” 

He watched Nicolò shake his head slightly. “Just a bit dizzy, I think I’m having an adrenaline crash,” he admitted sheepishly. 

Joe took his husband’s hand and caressed it softly. “We don’t have to do this now, you can rest a bit first.”

Nicky shook his head again. “I really want to clean up. Help me?”

Nicolò asking for any kind of help was an extremely rare occurrence, something they had worked on extensively in the past centuries. Despite his husband’s improvement though, it still was something that Joe didn’t take for granted, so he didn’t need to be told twice before moving into action.

He placed a gentle kiss on his beloved’s cheek and started undressing him. He made sure the shower was as hot as Nicky liked it before he helped him into the bathtub, encouraging him to lean forward and close his eyes. 

Of course he started with the mess that was Nicky’s head, rinsing it thoroughly and then applying a generous amount of shampoo. Joe did his best to ignore the blood and grey matter disappearing down the drain, focusing instead on massaging his husband's scalp and nape. Nicky hummed quietly.

“What is it, Habibi, am I hurting you?” He probed gently, immediately stopping his ministrations.

Joe heard Nicky hum again, his head shaking under his fingers. “No, amore. Just feels nice.” 

Nicolò followed his lead obediently, lethargic and pliant under his hands and occasionally sighing contentedly, while Joe took his time to thoroughly clean every inch of his body. Joe couldn’t remember the last time either of them had washed each other like this, but all of a sudden he felt overwhelmed by the intimacy of each gesture, by his need to be as close as possible to Nicolò, to have the love of his life safe in his arms, to touch, caress and protect.

The sob, his own sob, took him by surprise, but Nicky, his beautiful Nicky was facing him already, bringing their foreheads together and holding his face between his wet hands. Not that it mattered, Joe’s face had been wet with tears already, he was shocked to realise.

“Amore, shh, Tesoro. Siamo qui, insieme, stiamo bene.”

He nodded shakily at Nicky’s words because it was true, they were together and well, _mostly well_ , even if their family was broken once again. 

They stayed like that for a while, exchanging a few lazy kisses until Nicky shuddered visibly, goosebumps covering his entire body. 

“My heart, let’s get you dry and warm,” Joe prompted urgently, easily reverting to his caring mission.

Nicky didn’t immediately let go though, kissing him long and languidly before letting Joe rinse him one last time and getting out of the bathtub with his help. 

Joe was happy to see that Nicky was definitely more stable on his legs, albeit still way too pale. He suggested a nap, once again, but Nicky was adamant on going back downstairs to check on Andy and help Nile with dinner. Joe had known his husband for enough centuries to pick his battles.

To Joe’s annoyance, Booker was downstairs too, silently helping Nile serve what looked like vegetable stew onto the five plates currently on the table.

Andy was awake as well, sitting up on the sofa and watching all of them like a hawk. Nicky immediately joined her, fussing over the bandages, offering more water and a new round of pills. 

Treacherous brother momentarily forgotten, Joe’s heart melted a little while watching Andy hold Nicky close, kissing his cheek and softly caressing the back of his head. Of course she had noticed he had been shot in the head, putting all the pieces together between the blood, their forced stop earlier that day and the headache.

She also insisted on joining them at the table, despite Nicky’s objections. 

Unsurprisingly, dinner was an awkward affair. Nobody really spoke, except for Nicky quietly praising Nile’s food. She accepted his kind words with a blush and a sheepish smile, and Joe could only sympathise: after almost a millennium his husband’s compliments still reduced _him_ to a blubbering mess. 

He shared his thanks as well, secretly having an additional reason to be grateful that she had cooked after all. Nicky was way too polite to refuse the food the newest member of their family had so generously prepared for them all, and Joe was sure that in any other circumstance his husband would have skipped dinner. 

Not for the first time that day he felt overwhelmingly grateful to have Nile with them. 

However, just when it seemed that they would finish their dinner with no accidents or bloodshed, the tension escalated again as Nicky murmured a quiet “Oh”.

Joe absently registered Nile’s gasp and Andy’s _Shit!_ while he quickly jumped into action to grab a handful of napkins.

Nicky’s nose had started to bleed quite abruptly, his complexion suddenly ashen and clammy. Joe helped him soak up the blood while Nicky pinched the soft part of his nose. He then gently tilted his husband’s head forward and started massaging his nape. 

Nosebleeds were quite common after head injuries, they had all experienced it on many occasions. This time though Joe felt a wave of rage go through his body because this was Booker’s _fault_ , it was _his fault_ Nicky was swallowing blood _again_ and it was _his fault_ Nicky had his face covered in blood. _Again_.

He shot the other man a withering glare above Nicky’s bent head, and Sébastien had at least the decency to look ashamed. Joe wanted to scream, he wanted to punch his brother out of his selfish stupor, _he wanted to know why_. He bit his tongue though, remembering his husband’s pleas while strapped on that bed, remembering Andy’s words. 

“Get out of my sight,” he coldly ordered instead. 

He felt Nicky's shoulders slump in defeat. Nobody else uttered a word as Booker left the room quietly. 

“Is Nicky okay?” Nile hesitantly asked at last, a deep worry in her voice.

“I’b fide,” he heard his husband reply through the layers of napkins. 

All the rage seemed to evaporate from Joe’s body. No matter how bad the situation was, Nicky speaking with a stuffy nose was downright adorable and would always put a tiny smile on his face.

“Of course you are, Habibi,” he commented affectionately, slowly removing the bloody napkins to gauge the flow. “I think it stopped,” he then assessed in relief. 

“Another aftereffect of the head wound?” Nile guessed after a moment.

“Mm-mh,” Andy hummed in agreement, speaking for the first time in a while. “Head injuries are a bitch,” she added ruefully.

“How does it feel, Nico? Do you think it’ll get any worse?,” she asked cautiously, her attention fully back on Nicky and his clumsy attempt to clean his face.

Joe tensed again and he saw Nile look at them curiously. Full on seizures weren’t unheard of after bad head wounds, but he really hoped his Nicolò would be spared of that, at least.

“I think this was the last of it,” Nicky replied, speaking clearer already. “Even the headache is gone.” 

Andy seemed relieved and Joe forced himself to relax as well. They could usually tell when something wasn’t entirely right and Nicky had sounded pretty confident this time. His complexion looked much better as well, although Joe still thought a good night’s rest would greatly help too.

Before he could say anything though, Nicky spoke again as if reading his mind.

“I think we should call it a night, it’s been a long day.” He stood up with no hesitation, another sign he was definitely better, Joe thought. He watched him approach Andy at the other side of the table.

“Forza, Boss, let’s go to your room. Joe, I’ll be with you in no time. Nile, thank you again for the lovely dinner. Goodnight.” 

Joe nodded fondly at his husband, watching as Nicky took Andy’s arm and gently guided her upstairs, Andy huffing and puffing all the way. 

“Is he really okay?” 

Joe had almost forgotten that Nile was still there with him. She sounded so insecure and worried and he really wanted to hug her better. 

“I think he is, but if not, I’ll take care of him,” he assured her with no hesitation. 

“You know, we are both very grateful to have you with us,” he added smiling warmly at her.

“Nicky told me the same thing, just before you came back,” she confessed with a knowing smile.

Joe laughed lightly, of course his Nicolò did. 

“Then it must be true,” he joked and winked her goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a wrap! Thank you so much for following yet another self indulgent journey ❤️
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this last part, I wasn't entirely happy with it. I found Joe's feelings so hard to describe, same as his relationship with Booker. So much pain in there :( 
> 
> So yeah, any feedback is very much appreciated, as always! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️  
>  **Italian Translations**  
>  Amore, shh, Tesoro. Siamo qui, insieme, stiamo bene. = Love, hush, Darling. We are here, together, we are fine.  
> Forza, Boss. = Come on, Boss.


End file.
